The Social Support Theory as a Predictor of Sleep Hygiene Behaviors Among Older Adults

Background: Aging is associated with several health concerns, including sleep problems. Hence, the current study was conducted to determine the factors related to the performance of sleep hygiene behaviors among the elderly in Malair based on the social support theory. Methods: Data for this cross-sectional study were collected from 298 older adults who referred to comprehensive health centers in Malair, Iran, in 2022. Participants were selected by multi-stage random sampling method. Data collection tools included demographic information, social support theory, and sleep hygiene behaviors questionnaires. Data were then analyzed by SPSS software version 18 using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and linear regression. Results: According to the findings, among sleep hygiene behaviors, light and sound control behaviors to the minimum possible extent during sleep time (71.1%) and proper bedroom temperature control (68.5%) had the highest frequency. Furthermore, regular exercise behaviors such as walking outside homes in the evenings (16.4%) and examining the effect of drugs on sleep (24.8%) were the least frequent performance by the elderly. The results of linear regression analysis showed that instrumental support (β=0.297), informational support (β=0.224), and emotional support (β=0.15) are the best predictors of performing sleep hygiene behaviors. Moreover, the constructs of social support theory explained a 44.2% variance in sleep hygiene behaviors of the elderly. Conclusion: Considering the unfavorable level of some sleep hygiene behaviors among the elderly, it seems necessary to emphasize the importance of performing sleep hygiene behaviors. It is also suggested to pay attention to instrumental, informational, and emotional support when designing educational programs to increase the amount of the performance of these behaviors.